Orenda
by AttorneyDoug
Summary: (n). orenda – a mystical force present in all people that empowers them to affect the world, or to effect change in their own lives. Danny has had a lot on his plate recently, but things suddenly get a whole lot harder when an overly exuberant government official meddles with the law. Much like chess, one wrong move could be his downfall.
1. EPHEMERAL

**AUTHORS NOTE: Hey guys, I'm really sorry that the text was all funny, but thank you to kimcat and bloodydragon000 for pointing it out to me. I'm sorry that this happened (I have no idea why, but I hope that it'll be ok now. I'm relatively new here so I'm still working things out, but thank you for understanding :)**

**Oh, and a few notes before we begin. Firstly, this is not canon compliant (Phantom Planet? Who's she?). Most things stay the same up to season 3, and then things work out a little differently. Secondly, no one knows. Only Vlad, Danny and the ghosts have any idea about halfas. Thirdly, this is badger cereal, not pompous pep (no heads in the gutters). They're not enough fics that supply the good stuff™. **

**Anyway hope you all enjoy :DD**

* * *

(adj). ephemeral - lasting for a very short time.

Since the beginning, time was a relative concept. The universe needed movement and life and so it created time. And as it was created, the stars held their breaths and twinkled brighter. The universe smiled as everything was suddenly set in motion. Everything moved at an idle pace, without question or discomfort. A simple pattern repeated among the stars, moving forwards, never backwards. Evolution only progressed with _time_, and time only progressed _forwards._ And when time moved forward, so did contingencies.

And with time came _innovation_. Time marched along and dreams chased after it. With time, progress expanded and innovation exploded. Once there was only movement, but now there is _meaning_. And the stars exhaled, and oh it has been so long since they have inhaled again, but instead of nothing they taste the warmth and growth of the future. And the universe smiled for the first time in _eons_ because now life has been filled with _purpose_.

But time did not stop nor slow for anyone, no matter how hard you beg for it to _stop_. It kept on moving, emotionless and uncaring of others. At first it seemed like you had all the time in the world, but now it storms in front of everyone and you run to catch up. Because time marches along and now you sprint to stay ahead. And not everyone is strong enough to maintain the lead, so they fall, and oh god they_ fall_. And as the years go by, the stars slowly dim in the sky, and the universe looks onwards in pity.

One day the universe created a person, one that would change the very fabric of reality itself. Its presence could make weeping children smile, or make rabid dogs content. They would fulfil a life full of hardships and war, but they would be a beacon of hope. They would outrun time itself and help others overtake the chains time has on them. When they were born, the stars glowed just that bit brighter, and the universe finally smiled. Because time is a relative concept, but hope is a _constant._

* * *

It was a relatively warm and sunny day. The sky was a beautiful blue with little clouds littered here and there. Warm sunny rays danced through the sky, illuminating the small town of Amity Park below. The streets bustled with the early morning traffic. Cars beeped erratically and swerved through lanes. It was a normal everyday morning, with nothing completely out of the ordinary, well, unless the ghost fight on the main street was something out of the ordinary…

BANG! Danny gripped his head as he released a long groan. He braced himself against the wall in a seated position, arms laying limply beside him. He brought his gloved hand back to his face to find ectoplasm stained on his fingertips. Skulker had already given him a hard time yesterday, as well as Johnny and Youngblood (seriously, they are a duo Danny did not enjoy fighting). Now he had to deal with Technus' rage in the morning. Can't the ghosts just let him rest? At least Plasmius had the decency to show up and help this time.

Danny's bones creaked as he bent over, hunching his shoulders as he coughed a little. The world around him felt dizzy and weird. 'Great', he thought bitterly, 'Now my head is split open, and I'll probably have a concussion'.

He glanced upwards, watching as pink beams of ectoplasm flew straight into Technus' side. He screeched before sending waves of technology at Vlad. Vlad easily deflected the oncoming wave with a pink shield before duplicating himself. The fight continued above as Vlad's copy flew down to him, his face showing the smallest hint of sympathy. Danny had known Vlad for a long time and could read him like a book. The way Vlad's lip curled slightly downward and how his eyebrows were slightly pinched showed that he was very concerned.

Being his Godfather, Vlad always made sure he visited the Fenton Family every Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as some other weeks during the year. It usually depended on his work, but whenever he did get the time off, he always came to visit them. Danny used to see Vlad as the stubborn-uncle-type kind of person, but in recent lights he views him as more of a second father figure in an odd sort of way.

"Eyes on me, Little Badger," Vlad fondly spoke, placing a hand gently on his shoulder, "Can't have you passing out in the middle of a battle now, hmm?"

Danny's vision started to lose the constant fuzz, and his ears stopped ringing as loud. He could feel his super-healing kicking in, mending the cut in his head and stitching himself back up (perks of being half-dead). Vlad was obviously speeding up his healing process. The hand still gently pressing on his shoulder kept him grounded and awake.

"I'm 'kay," he slurred slightly, "Jus' lost focus, s'all."

Vlad's face contorted into a small smirk, wincing slightly as his duplicate took a graze to the size from a wayward television

"Aren't you eager, my boy? Now come on, your schooling starts soon and I am fairly certain your homeroom teacher would not appreciate your tardiness."

Danny nodded, grasping Vlad's outstretched hand and heaving himself up. Vlad's duplicate phased back into his body with a parting wave. Danny crouched down low and propelled himself into the sky with Vlad, dodging scraps of metal haphazardly floating around.

Technus, in all his nerdy glory, was compiling the tech into one large automated robot. All different kinds of devices swirled around him, forming long stocky arms and legs, and a menacing face and body. Danny didn't mean for the fight to go on this long, but for some reason, Technus was a bit more advanced today (maybe he had a long think in the shower?). He hadn't upgraded himself, and Vlad was unsure why Technus was strong as well. Danny hoped Vlad hadn't been bribing more ghostly enemies again. He just sort of got him off of that habit.

"Aha! Ghost child!" Technus rambled, "How do you like my new and improved automated body?"

Danny paused and looked over towards Vlad. His face was set in a frown, deep red eyes glaring at Technus. Danny opted to keep cool and composed, whilst a little bit cheeky, or else the situation would only go haywire from here.

"It really highlights your awful mullet. Did you wanna tell us about your evil world-dominating plans today?

Technus adopted a pleased look on his face before contorting into a deep frown. The technology glowed brighter, looking almost menacingly at the duo.

"NO! Technus 2.0 does not reveal his plans no more!"

He raised a chunky hand full of large computers and fridges packed together.

"They are only for me to know and for you to find out!"

He swung his arm around, Danny just narrowly missing the slap. Vlad flew downwards and tried firing ectoblasts at the weaker points of the structure, but Technus just evaded the blasts with astonishing speed for a large automaton. Danny caught on to Vlad's thinking and tried to shoot blasts at Technus in his blind spots, but Technus was just too fast for him. Technus fired some more beams, whilst Vlad encased Danny and himself in a glowing pink dome.

"Daniel", Vlad turned to him, "I'm going to try to immobilise him whilst you attack him from behind. The areas where the consoles overlap with the keyboards is the weakest part of the structure. If you could take that out-"

"Yeah, yeah," Danny snapped, "Technus goes boom and we suck him up with the thermos."

Vlad frowned in annoyance before abruptly shutting down the dome. Danny didn't get much time to think before he turned invisible, stalking from behind

Vlad combined his ectoenergy into a long rope before tying it to Technus' legs, sending him tumbling downwards. Danny's glowing green eyes changed to a frosty blue before throwing beams of ice towards Technus' back. They pierced through, causing Technus' suit to explode. Debris flied everywhere, smashing into the roads and some buildings. Danny quickly grabbed the thermos and aimed it towards Technus.

"No! Technus will not be confined within that cylindrical device!" He wailed.

Danny closed the lid with an exhale, gently touching down to the ground. He looked around at the damage and cringed slightly. Scraps of metal laid haphazardly on the street, and potholes littered the road. Some windows from the convenience stores lining the sides of the road along the main strip were broken. He glanced over towards some civilians, who crept out of the buildings they were hiding in warily. Danny's eyes softened at the sight. He flew over to an elderly lady who shuffled onto her deck.

"Hello there," he said softly, "Are you alright, ma'am?"

She smiled a sad toothless grin before pinching him lightly on the cheek.

"Thank you lovey! Oh, I'm glad you stopped the big bad ghost, but he got my TV! And I was just watching my favourite knitting show. They were making a fine creation before my TV glowed green and flew out me window!"

"Must've been some scarf," smiled Danny, his expression dropping suddenly, "Although, couldn't you just ask your insurance company to replace your TV?"

"Silly buggers don't ever listen to us old Amity people. They never believe our stories. Nobody has to worry about ghosts, heck, they would believe me! I'm just an old peanut that's probably gone wacko!"

Danny narrowly dodged as she raised her cane angrily in the air.

"But I thought the mayor was offering insurance to all of the victims in ghost attacks? Unless I'm wrong? I'm not exactly _living_ in the moment, y'know?"

Her face drooped, making her look older under the patio lighting.

"Like I said, no believing the silly lies of an old woman."

Danny frowned before bidding her a fond farewell. Vlad joined him and quickly placed a hand on his shoulder, teleporting him to his house in Wisconsin. The large mansion walls were warm and inviting, unlike the first few times he had been there. Although their relationship started off rocky, the duo managed to find some sort of comfort together by proving to themselves how much they both had in common (both figuratively_ and_ literally).

"Thanks for helping, Vlad," Danny called as he located the bathroom. He changed forms and watched as the ectoplasm stained on his head changed to a murky red. He frowned at the sight before grabbing a wash cloth to dab it with.

"No worries, my boy," Vlad sighed as he brushed off his expensive black suit. He had already changed forms as soon as he arrived, but unlike Danny, he had not sustained any injuries.

"I just can't believe Technus managed to get a hit on me this time. I thought I was getting better."

Vlad's expression changed from tired ease to pity in seconds.

"It was not your fault. Just a small miscalculation in your timing, one I hope you can correct in the future. We wouldn't want any more concussions now, would we?"

Danny smiled as he wiped his forehead. The wound was already closing up and would be gone just as he arrives at school.

"It's still pretty annoying. I should probably go soon anyways before Sam and Tucker get suspicious."

The older man hummed before walking over to the basin, gently grabbing Danny's arm and bringing it towards himself. Towel in hand, he dabbed the area around his forearm, removing the dirt and dried blood contained within the cut. Danny glanced upwards and took note of the gentleness of his features, how his royal blue eyes scanned over his injury with such delicate care. They connected with his and held eye contact for a sliver of a moment. It was often rare that they shared times at ease just like this, especially between ghosts, work and schooling.

"About your friends, Little Badger," Vlad clasped his hands gently around Danny's wrist, "Are they causing you any trouble as of yet?"

Danny sighed before removing his hand with a blush, glancing downwards.

"They've been asking questions, wondering why I don't hang out as often, but they haven't been threatening me or-"

Vlad raised a pale, calloused hand, stopping Danny is his rambling.

"It is quite alright, I am just looking out for you."

Danny nodded silently, fingers nimbly playing with the hem of his shirt. Sam and Tucker were his best friends, but they were blissfully unaware of his ghostly status. They didn't witness the way he has died, and he didn't know how to exactly tell them. 'Oh hey guys! Lovely weather, isn't it? Oh yeah by the way I accidentally _died_, but it's ok cause I only got halfway there! I'm like Schrödinger's cat!'

No. They could never know. Danny didn't want to have to burden them with his freakishness. They shouldn't have to know what it felt like to wake up every morning to fight these creatures that come out of his basement. They shouldn't have to know what it's like to constantly fear their lives and experience the real life thrill of fighting others. This was a burden Danny was willing to shoulder for himself. Besides, the more who know, the more targets there are…

"Daniel."

Vlad's voice pulled him out of his reverie. Danny looked up in embarrassment.

"Feel free to tell me anything. You don't need to hide from me, my boy. We are, different, so-to-say, than the people walking among us. Fate has made it for us to be one and the same."

Vlad paused and gently smiled at Danny, resting his hand on his shoulder. It was fairly large compared to Danny's still-small frame (although it was getting pretty bulked now), and although cold to the touch, the simple gesture brought warmth throughout his body.

"And because we are so connected, you cannot keep anymore burdens from me. You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulder's all the time."

Danny sucked in a large breath before brushing off the hand on his shoulder and wrapping his own arms around Vlad's waist. Between the sleep-deprived nights, ghost fights, and exhausting days at school, Danny forgot to add in some emotional support time™. Vlad wasted no time in wrapping up the small boy and drawing him into his warmth. They stayed together, silently standing in the bathroom, unaware of time and space itself. What mattered most was that they were _there_, living and connecting through each other.

"Hey Vlad," Danny mumbled into his suit, "Did you know that the people of Amity don't get insured for all the damage cause by ghost fights?"

Vlad loosened the hug and looked down at Danny, a small frown on his face.

"I did, yes."

"Why not? Sometimes there is a lot of damage during ghost fights, especially the ones with Skulker, how does the government replace everything?"

Vlad looked away slightly before glancing back at Danny.

"The government doesn't want to believe in extraordinary happenings, so-to-say. They refuse to acknowledge things that are new or_ different_. Their only concept is moving forward and progressing the old. My boy, you are aware of the primitive concept of time, and therefore you should know that with time comes creation and growth. The government blindly ignores these concepts and only focuses on the power in which growth produces. What I mean is, when somebody claims about something different interfering with the progress of power, they ignore the possible and continue with their own games. It is not the government that replaces the destruction of the damage, my boy, it is the people or businesses themselves. Sure, if a road or two gets damaged, then they will convince themselves of another underlying cause already occurring in other areas."

Danny felt outraged at that.

"But how can they ignore their people like that? People are surely struggling to rebuild their lives and the government does nothing but ask for their service!"

Vlad sighed sadly, glancing downwards. Danny felt guilty at lashing out on him like that. He mumbled out a small apology before phasing downwards into the lab. He placed the thermos on the workbench before flying back up. He noticed Vlad had moved from his spot in the hallway to the couch, turning on the TV and idly flicking through the channels. He finally settled on the news, where a report of the latest ghost fight was being taken.

Lance Thunder stood in the middle of the wreckage where Technus' suit had made an impact on the ground (ha).

"And we are here live at the scene where Amity's own ghostly superhero Phantom, as well as the Wisconsin Ghost, took on the ferocious technological master 'Technus' in a raging battle. Witnesses say that their technological devices glowed an ominous green before flying out their doors and combining into one large mechanical body around the ghost. He wreaked havoc before the super duo contained him and took off to dispose of him. However, many people are once again unhappy of the state in which their area has been left in."

The camera panned out to show the extensive amounts of debris and scrap metal left lying on the roads and in buildings. Glass shards were scattered across the road and footpath, and the craters in the road seemed more prominent than they did earlier on. Danny's shoulders hunched in slightly as he made his way to the couch.

"We go now live to a member of the parliament who will speak about this pressing issue in just a moment."

Danny and Vlad shared a wary glance.

"And now they care?" snorted Danny, "How much do you wanna bet that this will be about promoting the upcoming mayoral election?"

Vlad smirked before glancing back at the TV. The camera showed the city hall with a wooden podium standing tall and alone. A tall pristine official wearing an immaculate white suit stepped up to the podium. He had a mop of blonde hair combed and parted neatly to the right that glowed brighter than the sun. He had tan skin and perfectly polished black shoes, and a smile that sent shivers down Danny's spine. Something about the man seemed awfully familiar.

"People of Amity Park," his voice echoed loudly from the speakers, "I have some wonderful news for all of you that I bring from the big man himself! From now on, all the people of Amity will receive government funding for all the little ghost attacks that you receive on a daily basis. Furthermore, all people over the age of 18 that are currently in possession of goods or properties that get damaged by these attacks will receive full insurance."

A large round of applause followed the two statements. Danny's jaw had reached the floor, whilst Vlad still looked sceptical. Although Danny did have to admit, the timing of this situation was awfully uncanny. And why now? The town has suffered greatly due to these attacks for the past two years. How have they only just noticed the repercussions?

"Now, I know you have some questions. Particularly, why now? Well, it's a good thing we are doing it now rather than never, am I right?"

More applause could be heard. Vlad and Danny both frowned. Something wasn't right about this guy, between the fake joyful persona, or the timing of these sudden changes. Vlad sat rigidly upright and paused before sagging in his seat. He quickly turned off the TV before turning to Danny. The room temperature started to feel a lot hotter than before.

"Hurry along Daniel. You best be off now. Make sure you teleport into the alleyway nearby Casper High instead of the bushes. Homeroom with Mr Lancer starts in 5 minutes."

Danny glanced over at Vlad and nodded numbly. Deep down in his core, he could feel that something big was about to happen. Maybe he should talk to Clockwork before he rushed to deep conclusions.

"Bye fruitloop."

Vlad rolled his eyes at the nickname as Danny's world disappeared in a swirl of green.


	2. KALOPSIA

**Hey guys! I'm sorry this took a little while to come out, but it could've been worse timing! I've had a lot of stuff going on at the moment with school and other activities, so my updating schedule might be a bit out of whack. I promise I'll try to get the next update done as soon as possible! **

**Thanks to everyone who has liked this story so far! I hope it still meets your expectations :D**

* * *

(n.) kalopsia – the delusion of things being more beautiful than they really are.

Sneakers pounded against the squeaky hallway floors of Casper High. Legs moved fastly even though confined by baggy denim blue jeans. Panting, gasping, heaving sounds, arms flailing wildly. The mere seconds left till homeroom started counted down inside his mind. _Thirty seconds, twenty-nine…twenty-eight…_

He forced himself to continue moving, tapping slightly into his ghostly energy. 'Just a little quicker', he thought, 'Or Lancer will have my head.' He felt himself rise slightly off the ground, almost a blur in the empty hallways. The students had already moved to class, but considering the final bell had not rung yet, Danny was still eligible to arrive on time. _Sixteen…fifteen…fourteen…_

He could see the ugly white door in the distance labelled 'B12'. He was nearly there, just so close. Three…two…one…

Danny just opened the door as the second bell rung loudly in the building. He panted, hand on the handle supporting his weight, avoiding the eyes of his peers. In the corner of his eyes, he noticed Sam's posture become rigid, and Tucker leaned over to whisper something into her ear. Of course, Danny (with his freaky ghost powers) heard the snarky comment anyways.

"He was earlier than yesterday, but at least he doesn't look like he ran through a punch-up."

Danny frowned and ignored the stares of the class before turning his attention to Mr Lancer. His posture was upright, yet his neck hunched forward. His balding head gleamed in the terrible lighting of the class (they never fixed the back lights after that one time with Spectra…). His lips were pinched to the sides, giving his mouth the appearance of a thin line. His beady eyes were stern and almost bulging out of his face. Danny winced and closed the door, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"I-I'm sorry, Mr Lancer, I was just-"

"That's quite enough, Mr Fenton," Lancer's voice washed over the classroom, sending shivers down Danny's spine, "I'm sure whatever excuse you will present to me will be just as ridiculous and as repetitive as the next. I do not appreciate your tardiness or your ability to disrupt homeroom. I'll be seeing you in detention afterschool again."

Danny winced before walking over to Mr Lancer's desk. He noticed how Lancer's knuckles were almost white as he gripped the ink pen in his hands, crudely scribbling over the pink slip. His eyes darted upwards in a cold frown before passing the slip slowly over to Danny's outstretched hand. Danny could feel the intensity of the gaze, biting his lip in fear.

"No more, Mr Fenton. We are all punctual and organised students. Try an alarm clock next time."

Snickers reverberated around the classroom as Danny walked over to his seat. Sharply pulling his chair out, ignoring the scrape against the floor, before sitting down harshly. His eyes bore holes into the desk as Lancer's monotonous voice dragged on in the background. He almost missed the way Tucker leaned over towards him and tapped his shoulder lightly. He lifted his head a little, crystal blue eyes peering through his black bangs.

"Hey dude, are you okay today?"

Danny sighed, closing his eyes before nodding and returning his attention to the front. Lancer was reading out the latest notices. Something about cheerleading tryouts…

"Danny," Sam leaned over the side of Tucker's desk, "Why were you late again? Do you need a lift here? Is it a home thing or-"

"Trust me guys," Danny huffed, "It's nothing you need to concern yourselves over. I'm alright."

Sam scowled and crossed her arms, glancing over the other way. She was obviously aware that Danny was hiding something from them, but Danny didn't necessarily know about the impacts of keeping his secret from his friends. She rested her chin on her hand and glanced towards the front. Danny's eyes watched her intently before moving to outside. Oh, how he wished he was flying outside as of now, but alas, school was always one to suck the joy out of the day.

* * *

Danny hauled his backpack on his shoulder before making his way out the door. English class was boring, as per usual. This time, Lancer droned on about the importance of wars and how the raw emotions the soldiers experience helped them to write poems or something. Danny didn't really listen anyways. He ended up leaving halfway anyways to capture the Box Ghost, giving him a few cuts and scrapes from the effort. It's nothing his super healing couldn't fix. They'd be gone in an hour at most anyways (that's always fun to explain). Lancer suspiciously eyed him the rest of the lesson, and Sam and Tucker were a lot more rigid in their seats today. They probably thought he was in some gang or something, but it did hurt whenever he walked in to find their concerned gazes upon him.

He avoided Lancer's wandering gaze and continued marching forwards, Sam and Tucker following idly behind him. Before he knew it, he was travelling through the large crowd of students, aimlessly wandering to the lunch hall. Danny's stomach rumbled at the thought of food. He forgot to have breakfast this morning, and he was really keen for a big meal.

After grabbing the standard lunchtime meal, Danny sat down at their regular table with Sam and Tucker. Occasionally, Valerie would sit with them, but most of the time she joined Star and what remained of her friendship with the other A-listers. Danny still felt bad about 'ruining' her life and the whole debacle with Cujo, but at least they were on good terms with him in _both_ forms.

Sam and Tucker sat opposite from him and whipped out their meals. Sam had her standard salad, whilst Tucker chose to have a simple bun and a meat patty. Danny still cherished the normalcies he had with his friends, particularly the little things that made up their personalities, and the occasional petty argument about meat vs vegetables. It gave him some breathing room between the ghost fights and the business of life in general.

"I'm telling you Sam," Tucker moaned unceremoniously, "This meat patty is absolutely delicious! You've gotta try some!"

He shoved the meaty burger in Sam's face. Her expression twisted into a frown as she sharply recoiled. Danny could smell the odour of meat from his seat.

"I'll leave the heart disease you call a meal to you, I'm perfectly fine with this Asian salad."

"Excuse me! Meat is good for you. My mum says meat has proteins in it that help your muscles grow strong."

"Well has she told you about the grease that clogs up your arteries, cause there's enough in there to give you a stroke."

Danny smiled as he stared off, blocking out the bickering between his friends. He thought back today to what he saw earlier on the TV. He couldn't believe that just randomly, out of the blue, the government was finally doing their part and helping the people. Although Danny only just found out today, he found it rather appalling that there was no government help at all prior. But even so, this whole situation feels kind of forced. The timing was very strange. Just a week ago Danny had fought off Amorpho and his schematics, and that whole incident was pretty much advertised everywhere in the Amity Park paper. So why have they intervened now?

"Earth to Danny," Sam's hand waved around in his face, "We were just talking about the latest ghost fight between Phantom and Technus. Did you see how he utilised the hard exterior of the television monitors as boxing gloves?"

"But did you see the way he removed the energy systems and coding devices from the computers and combined them into one mega power source?" Tucker squealed in delight, "Genius!"

"Wasn't that other guy there too?" Danny said helplessly, "Um, uh, the Wis-"

"-Consin ghost, yeah," Sam waved him off, "I didn't see him much at the start. I was _there_ you know."

Tucker gasped.

"But Sam, you know how strict your parents are about sneaking out! How did you get out with your security system?"

"I disabled it for a bit whilst I went out the back window," she cackled, a cold grin washing over her pale face, "Snuck down the street and watched from a nearby alleyway."

Danny paled slightly. He was totally unaware that one of his closest friends was so close to the action. What if she had gotten hurt? His tired actions could have put her at harms risk. 'Just another reason why this secret is tight-lipped', he thought.

"I only saw it on the news," Tucker chimed in, tapping away happily on his PDA, "Phantom was all like, whoop! Swish! Ka-pow! And then he got sent flying into a brick wall."

"But couldn't he have gone intangible before he hit the wall? He is _dead_ after all."

"Maybe he got stunned by the electrical impulses sent from the wirings. That's happened to me before when I tried to fix Selena."

"Oh what, your seventh PDA girlfriend from last year?"

"She was a fine model thank you…"

Danny zoned out of the conversation and chose to stare intently at the back wall. He idly noticed Dash and his cronies scoping out the nerds in the back corner, wanting to desperately help them but knowing that he can't display his true strength. He could feel his core pulsating with the feeling of wanting to _help_. His obsession was screaming at him as the A-listers cackled as Kwan gave a wedgie to Nathan. _I need to help them helpthemhelpthemhelpthem_…

"Space boy," Sam chimed in, invading his thoughts, "I asked if you wanted to come to the Nasty Burger with us this afternoon. Tucker and I thought that maybe we could hang out like old times."

"Yeah," Tucker perked up, "We haven't done something in ages, dude. Surely you are free today, what else could you be doing?"

Oh right. Today was Wednesday, which meant he had training in the afternoon with Vlad. Although, Sam and Tucker didn't know this part, so what could he really say?

"Uh, sorry guys," Danny grinned awkwardly, "Uncle Vlad is actually coming over, so Jazz and I both have to say hello."

Sam and Tucker's expressions suddenly changed from happy to annoyed. Here comes the argument.

"Danny, that's the fourth time this week that you have declined one of our offers. You haven't done anything with us in months! What could you possibly be doing with Vlad the entire time?"

'Training so that all of you don't die tomorrow,' he thought. He couldn't bring himself to give a proper response, but due to Sam's squared shoulders and Tucker's hesitant stares, he was sure they got the message. Sam exhaled forcefully before leaning over the table and grabbing the front of Danny's shirt. He may have been the strongest one at the table, but when Sam pulled him forwards his body gave way to the motion. They were so close he could smell her grape lip balm from her lips, the tangy aroma wafting into his nose pleasurably. Her voice was sad yet firm, full of betrayal but underlined with concern only a close friend would contain.

"I swear to God Daniel Fenton," her fist clenched around his shirt, "You better get your ass into gear and figure out what the hell is going on, or so help me I'll…"

She broke off with a sad glance downwards before frowning and sitting back on the stool. Tucker licked his lips and fidgeted with his glasses, PDA dangling aimlessly from his belt buckle. It pained Danny that his friends were so obviously hurt by his actions. It was all his fault.

"Attention all students and faculty," the speakers blared out suddenly, "Please report to the assembly hall for an important announcement immediately. Lunch time is finished and the meeting will commence in 5 minutes."

Students moaned tiredly as they heaved their lifeless bodies from their seats and sluggishly carried their trays over to the bins. Danny lingered a while, watching as Sam brokenly picked up her lunchbox and walked off. He had never seen her look so broken before, and it was painfully obvious now how his actions were hurting her. Her normal cold, tough exterior was replaced by a sad, rigid being. He bit his lip before glancing over at Tucker.

Tucker glanced at Danny tiredly before slowly getting up and following Sam's wandering body out the door and down the hall. Absentmindedly, Danny wondered what this meeting would be about. He had a sneaking suspicion that it was related to the news report shown earlier this morning, but he couldn't call everything early. It was probably a talk about supporting the local football team.

It had nothing to do with the government at all.

Right?

(Wrong).

* * *

Danny was seated next to Sam on her left. Tucker was on her right, fiddling with his PDA. It felt like all he did these days was play with the piece of technology, although what would he know? He barely spent time with them nowadays. _You're such a bad friend Danny_…

The stage had been set up nicely, with a wooden podium positioned in the centre. The entire board of staff was seated in a nice line, as well as the president of the P&F club, the mayor, and the representative of the diocese. The country flag was positioned at the back, and the Illinois flag was positioned next to it. The same man that talked on television this morning was sitting in the wings of the small stage, fixing up his black tie. Danny wanted to scream into his hands, instead choosing to grumble under his breath. Tucker glanced over, slight concern in his forehead, whilst Sam's vision stayed ahead, never crumbling.

The man walked onstage and was instantly met with applause from the students and staff. He and Sam were the only two not clapping, although Sam's face showed some sort of emotion at this.

"Hello students of Casper High School," the man stated again, "My name is Agent Ede, and on behalf of the government I would personally like to especially thank you lot. Whilst the town is constantly under fire with many ghost attacks, Casper High is often hit the hardest. Statistics have shown that the ghosts attack more frequently in this area than any other sector of Amity Park. As much as this puzzles us, we are ensuring that we provide the most protection and restriction to this area.

"I have already spoken with your principle on this matter, and she has happily accepted and already implementing these precautions into your daily schooling lives. Firstly, ghost drills will be implemented into your daily schooling, with drills happening once per month. The mandatory meeting place will be in the auditorium, where a roll call will be done as students group into homerooms. Anyone that has been marked here in the morning and has failed to show up during a ghost attack will not only be searched for by police and reprimanded for their actions, but also receive an afterschool detention."

_Joy_. Guess Danny will have to duplicate his way out of this one.

"Another important thing. All students will wear mandatory spector deflectors, as provided by the Fenton's, during school hours and until they are home. Families will have access to the key that unlocks these devices."

_Brilliant_. Spector deflectors are the worse creation ever. Definitely on Danny's 'avoid at all costs' list. Looks like he is gonna have to get used to the zaps that come with greeting others. He'd have to get Vlad to help remove his ectosignature out of his own spector deflector, or else Danny will be in a lot of pain. It wouldn't bode well for his secret identity either…

"Furthermore, in recent lights, scientists working on the ever-growing ghost crisis in Amity Park have noticed that the ectoplasmic concentration within the city is abnormally high. This means that people, particularly the young or the elderly, are at more of a cost of developing ectoplasmic infections. Therefore, a compulsory drawing of blood will commence next Monday. If a student or resident is marked away, then they will be sought out and their blood will be withdrawn anyway. If any of your parents have any concerns, then they can contact the school."

Oh no. This is very bad. His blood was _filled_ with ectoplasm. One look at his blood and the government would be having a field day! Then they would figure out his identity and the next thing you know he'll be strapped to a table being rubbed with alcohol as they prep his body for a vivisection…

He really needed to talk to Vlad about this.

"Now," Agent Ede paused, "I have spoken with the big guy in the head office, and we all agree that the ghost issue in not just Casper High, but all of Amity Park, is out of control. These emotionless, rabid beings are wreaking havoc across town, causing distress and worry throughout the general public."

Emotionless? _Rabid_?

"Whilst the sight of ghosts has increased the rate of tourists coming into the town, it has also increased the number of people leaving. We need to do something about this problem. From memory, we understand that Amity has some, well, annoying and not-so-great hunters out there, and while they may create fantastic weapons for ghost fighting, they are obviously not doing the job right."

Ok. Jab it at his parents. Danny guessed he had it coming, but really? His parents might be annoying, but they are trying to get rid of the ghosts too. What do these guys have that they don't.

"And I know that you all have that mediocre ghost called Phantom who claims he is here to protect you all, but I can assure you, he is anything _but_ good."

Wow ok. That was a little too close to home. Danny looked around and noticed that most of the students were shifting around in their seats. Some had frowns on their faces. Sam, in particular, was clenching her fists tightly, her mouth set in a thin line.

"Hey wait a minute," Dash spoke up from the bottom of the bleachers, "Phantom is a good guy! He fights the ghosts and gets rid of them."

"Yes!" cried Paulina, "The ghost boy would never hurt us. He's totally infatuated with me!"

Other students chimed in about how Phantom was a good guy and that he shouldn't be targeted. Agent Ede's face soured instantly. He stood upright before clapping his hands a single time. Silence echoed around the auditorium.

"Students," his voice was cold as he spoke, "I can assure you that Phantom is nothing but a mindless being that enjoys terrorising humans."

"I'm sorry," Sam stood up, "But Phantom, nor any of the ghosts, are 'mindless beings'. They have a mind of their own, their own free will. They aren't some animals that need to be kept in a cage."

"Ghosts currently are not listed as 'creatures' nor will they ever be, they are non-living and therefore they do not have any rights."

"That's completely ridiculous!" Sam shouted angrily, "They used to be _people_. Why is it that once they die then they are stripped of their humanity?"

"Because they are _not_ human, miss?" Agent Ede questioned.

"Sam Manson."

"Sam, short for Samantha, I presume?"

Sam glowered dangerously. As much as Danny appreciated the fact that she was unknowingly sticking up for him, he would much prefer she stayed alive after this argument.

"Ghosts are a completely different species to the rest of us. They may have been human before, but have now become the monsters children hear about in fairy tales. Unless you would rather having these _beasts_ making a wreck of your city, I would advise you not to question the experts."

Sam crossed her arms and sat back down with a huff. Students murmured around her, some agreeing, whilst others feeling obvious traces of doubt. Mr. Lancer stood up shakily.

"That's detention for you, Miss Manson. My apologies, Mr. Ede."

"It is quite alright. Now, this is why we are trying to take things into our own hands. Recently, we have come up with a new form of ectoplasm that targets the central core of the ghosts, therefore causing immense damage and reducing their energy levels. This will make it easier for us to kill them!"

Danny swallowed nervously. He really needed to talk to Vlad.

"Once again," Agent Ede fiddled with his tie, "Thank you, Casper High, for your cooperation. With your help, we can all live together in a safer, more _human_ world!"


	3. LACUNA

**Hey guys! I'm sorry I haven't been posting for a bit, so heres a long chapter to make up for it! Drop a review or a favourite if you like it so far! It always makes me happy to hear from you guys on here as well as ao3.**

**There is a subtle hint in here about what is to come...:DD**

* * *

(n.) lacuna – a blank space, a missing part.

"This is insane! A compulsory blood drawing from a group of minors because they believe that we are 'contaminated'?" Sam huffed angrily, "The government has lost too many braincells."

"I'll say," shivered Tucker, "I don't like needles."

"And I can't believe they said such degrading stuff about Phantom. He does a great job in protecting the town. Looks like there is another person who holds animosity for him, let alone all the other ghosts."

"But Sam, there are plenty of evil ghosts. Agent Ede just wants the best for all of us. He isn't wrong in saying that they are terrorising the town-"

"But there are good ghosts too. Just because half of them are bad doesn't mean they all are. It's just like humans…"

Danny stared off into the distance. His mind was running a mile a minute. This 'Agent Ede' guy just had to make his life a hundred times worse than before. He really needed to tell Vlad and quick. Who knows what kind of trouble a drop of blood could place them in?

"If you're just going to ignore us Danny, then we will just go home without you," said Sam angrily, "Honestly, I'm so tired of trying to be a good person to you. If you have better things to do than spend time with your only two friends, then we won't give you the time of day. C'mon, Tucker."

"Oh come on Sam," Danny snapped, "Don't be like that."

Sam turned around angrily.

"I have every right to be angry. The last two years have been horrible. We've tried to ask you what's happening. We want to be there for you Danny, we're your friends. But for some reason you haven't been able to trust us anymore. And you've changed, _drastically_. You are always tired, you never put any effort into school, or even just with anyone at all. Have you seen Jazz around at all? She looks like she's aged 10 years because she's worried about you. We _all_ are!"

"Jazz is fine. We talked yesterday. She's just been overly incessant just like you."

"I can't believe you. I just want to know why you are always so angry and tired? I'm _concerned_, Danny. Why can't you just tell us what's going on?"

Danny gave an almost pleading noise in the back of his throat. He wanted them to understand, he really did. A small part of him inside ached with the need to confess his pain to them. He wanted to vent about the struggles of staying up all night so that they could sleep safely, completely unaware of the dangers that lurk around. He wanted to complain how unfair it was that a 16-year-old boy had to hold the weight of the world on his shoulders on a daily basis, with one wrong move sending their future into oblivion. He wanted to shout about how fidgety he felt every day because he can feel the raw power buzzing under his skin just waiting to be released, or how he could easily kill the entire city with a flick of a finger.

He just wanted them to understand.

But he knew he couldn't.

"I just _can't_," he whined, "It's too dangerous."

For a small fraction of a second, Sam almost looked sympathetic. It gave Danny a small snippet of hope.

But the universe sighed as the nebulae laughed at him. Fate played a deadly game and it loved to mess with Danny.

"The Danny I know would never betray his friends like this. I just want the old Danny back."

Danny snarled angrily.

"Well the old Danny just grew up. Accept it or not, I'd rather my life be exactly the way it is rather than go back."

Sam stared at Danny for a long time, making him shift a little awkwardly. Her bottom lip trembled traitorously before she stormed off, dragging Tucker with her. He seemed to just follow along without an argument, as if he too had given up on Danny. Well, he couldn't blame them. He was surprised they put up with it all for this long. But they couldn't know. Nobody could know. That's how it has been, and how it will end (famous last words).

Danny kicked a lone stone on the cement path, gripping the sides of his backpack before darting into an alleyway. He felt the rings forming without realising, shifting over his body and changing him into his ghostly persona. He needed to get out of this suffocating space and call Vlad.

* * *

Jazz glanced silently at the TV in the living room from her spot in the kitchen. She scrubbed hard at the dish in her hand despite not glancing at it, for her eyes were taking part in something more interesting than meagre chores. The TV was playing the re-run of the speech the government official made earlier in the day. She watched the man as he ran a hair through his gleaming blonde locks, his black sunglasses gleaming obnoxiously into the camera. His personality screamed bad news. From the obviously exaggerated attitude to the way his breathing was slightly uneven, tenseness in the shoulders...Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

The front door slammed open ceremoniously, revealing the presence of Danny. He looked tired and worn down, his hair a tangled mess on top of his head, and his eye bags looked even bigger than before. She did a quick check-over (are those scratches on his arms?) before placing the dish and towel down. She stood in front of Danny, trying to ground him and giver her his attention. If theory, if she were to convey to her little brother that she was here for him then that would lead to more positive engagement.

Wow, she was really good at observing him. Thank you psychology lectures at Yale.

"Hello, little brother," she said softly, "How was school?"

"Fantastic," he quipped sarcastically, side-stepping her and continuing on his way. He placed his bag down at the end of the counter, grabbing some rubbish out of his bag and placing it in the Fenton garbage chute™. Her face frowned slightly before she sat down at the counter. She placed her hands down neatly on the bench, leaning forward. 'I need him to see that I'm there for him', she thought idly. 'Maybe I should start with a small topic, something currently in debate around town so he can engage in conversation with me…'

"Have you seen the news lately? There's a guy claiming to protect Amity Park even better than Phantom."

Danny flinched at the name of the town's elusive yet courageous defender. Jazz noted that in her brain. He always seemed a little tense about the subject. It could be probable that this overwrought nature is brought about by mum and dad's incessant conversations about dissecting and destroying ghosts. Their ludicrous jobs have placed Danny in a mentally unstable state.

She stopped her mind mumbling once Danny stretched his arms behind his back lightly before slouching. 'He seems more lethargic today,' her brain inserted.

"Yeah," he huffed, "Said they'd cover the costs of ghost fights. He came to my school and placed a bunch of rules onto us."

Jazz could tell that Danny was avoiding the entire truth. He was avoiding eye contact, he was constantly fidgeting, and he was licking his lips a little too often. Jazz noted this down in her brain again to the file that is her brother's mysterious secret. For now, Jazz could deduce that the problem was ghost related. 'Ah', she thought, 'Another ghostly problem in our family. She wished her parents would've taken up medicine rather than ectology.

"Was there anything else that the man said?" she queried, "The guy seems kind of sketchy."

Danny's eyebrows scrunched together as he looked elsewhere.

"He wants our school to do a mandatory blood testing process or whatever."

Now that was a development. Jazz pondered all the reasons why the government would want to draw blood out of a bunch of high schoolers. Why was their blood of upmost importance? And how was this related to ghosts?

"That's completely insane!" she cried, "Why would some random guy that only appeared on the news this morning be claiming the blood of a bunch of teenagers?"

"The guy claims it's to detect ectoplasmic contamination in the blood, I think," Danny's hand ran along the back of his neck. His nervous tic.

The whole situation was very confusing. But there was one essential part that was missing in the story. Jazz figured she had a lead on this already.

"Does mum and dad know about this?"

Danny shrugged his shoulders idly. Jazz tried to determine everything she knew about ectoplasm in her brain. She remembered hearing that ectoplasm in the blood was highly toxic, and that small exposures could leave you bed ridden for months on end. Sort of like Uncle Vlad's ecto-acne from the accident in college. From Jazz's memory, the exposure of the raw ectoplasm plus the backlash from the machine cause the ectoplasm to come in contact with the small capillaries within his face, hence the ecto-acne. If this were the case, then what was the need for a donation of blood? Maybe she could have a talk about this whole idyll with her parents later on.

"So, are they doing this during school? After school?"

Danny wiped his face with his free hand before taking a bite of an apple.

"During school in the auditorium, probably in little sections with big buff men holding needles. Jazz", he whimpered slightly, "I don't like needles."

Well, that much was obvious. Danny has never been a fan of needles. The constant talks from his parents and their escapades didn't necessarily help his phobia either.

"I know, Danny," she sympathised, "I'm going to talk to mum and dad about this. It'll be alright, I promise."

Danny looked like he wanted to vomit for a second before his face became completely devoid of emotion.

"Yeah, well, don't make promises you can't keep. I need to go do my homework," Danny said gruffly, "I'll be in my, uh, room. Don't come in for, like, 5 hours."

Jazz turned her head as she watched her brother ascend the stairs (two at a time? Has Danny always had that stamina?). As much as she wanted to check if he was alright, she now had a new mission:

To stop the blood drawing of Casper High.

* * *

Danny flew through the Ghost Zone, basking in the euphoria he got from flying through the cold atmosphere. Purple doors looked more like purple lines as he sped through the green abyss, navigating his way to his desired location. He smiled to himself as he noticed Johnny 13 and Kitty to his left bickering on a rock about something he couldn't quite make out. Plenty of other ghosts were on their way throughout the area. Most of them stared at him, obviously recognising him either because of his status or due to his aura as a halfa. Danny smiled to himself as he saw the familiar green building coming into view.

Before entering the Ghost Zone, Danny tried a number of times to contact Vlad, but unfortunately, he was currently in a meeting to discuss the latest business ideas of Dalv Corp. He would just have to see him later. Danny sighed but decided to try the next best option: Clockwork.

Ever since saving him and his family from the destruction of the Nasty Burger, Clockwork has acted as another mentor in Danny's life, albeit a more cryptic and mysterious type. Danny occasionally checked in to see Clockwork, as well as confirm his evil future self was still confined in the dented-up thermos. Although Clockwork was often enigmatic majority of the time, he still enjoyed Danny's presence and treated him like a son (although the old ghost never showed it. He shouldn't get too attached and linger away from his jobs).

Danny entered through the front door quietly. He silently held up a tiny ball of ectoplasm made by his hand as a light source as he wandered through. The green light reflected over the large brick walls, the large clocks ticking soundly in the still building. As normal, Danny's vision wandered over to the large cabinet on the side with a small stone column that _should_ be balancing the thermos. It took Danny three seconds to notice the difference in the picture, more namely, the missing object.

Where is it?

Oh _no_.

He silently prayed to Clockwork that he was just dreaming. Where is the thermos? Dan can't come back. He just _can't_.

_Icheckedthreedaysagowherediditgo…_

"It is not that time, Daniel."

Danny jerked around suddenly, arms pulsing with ectoplasm ready to fire. He took in the older ghost, in his elderly form, with his long billowing purple cloak and long white beard. Striking red eyes bore into his soul, revealing his omniscience. Danny's eyes trailed down to his frail hand, taking in the damaged thermos containing his evil future self. Clockwork's grandfather clock in his chest ticked tiredly away as the ghost's lips gave a wry smile.

"It is not wise to leave him unattended whilst I have my monthly meeting with the Observants. Rest assured, he will not be bothering you today."

Danny smiled warmly, floating over to give the ghost a gentle hug. His cheeks blushed a green hue as he felt an arm wrap around his back tenderly. He tried not to think about the thermos in his other hand.

"Hello Clockwork," his voice was muffled as he buried his head into his cloak, squeezing harder. He just needed a hug.

"A lot has happened, and I am aware that you are stressed beyond your normal threshold. Before we talk, let us dispose of this nuisance here."

He reluctantly let go and watched silently as Clockwork floated over to the glass chamber and placed the thermos on the concrete pillar. He tapped a few buttons, resulting in a loud clicking sound before the glass was sealed tight. Whilst he was there, he changed into his child form, with his face and body taking on a more youthful appearance. Clockwork floated gracefully back to Danny and rested a gloved hand on his shoulder.

"Now, Daniel," he sighed, "While I know why you are here, I am sure it would alleviate a great deal of pain for you to talk to me about your little issue. I cannot tell you how much help I can be, but I will at least act as a good listener for you."

He tapped a gloved finger to his chin in thought in a semi-joking manner, but it would be hard to tell for others who didn't know the ghost well.

"Sort of like a therapist, I suppose," Clockwork said, the corners of his lips slightly turning up.

Danny smiled lightly before landing softly on the ground, slouching slightly with his eyes downcast. The pressure of Clockwork's small child-like hand grounded him and kept him in one place. It helped him focus his thoughts and filter through his mind all of the worries and doubts he currently contained. So he told Clockwork all about the battle in the morning, the strange man, and the laws he was imposing on the school. Throughout his talk, Danny took careful note of Clockwork's unreadable face.

"I know you can't tell me everything, Clockwork," Danny said slowly, "But I just don't know what to do. I could use any sort of advice right now."

Clockwork paused before floating off suddenly, Danny catching up behind him quickly. They entered the viewing room, containing an array of screens that displayed moments in time. The three largest, each respectively containing the past, present and future, were both running for the time being. All seemed fairly normal, although Danny was certain Clockwork was meddling with them in order to not give any hints to himself.

"Daniel, I cannot tell you what will happen, but I can tell you this. There will be great hardships for you in the near future. The pain and suffering you will experience will be far greater than anything you have experienced before. This information, while it does not necessarily sound fantastic, is what you want to hear. I can tell you that this pain and suffering is true, but I cannot tell you how or why. I can only brace you for it, or at least try to minimise the surprise and prepare you for what is to come.

"Do you remember our latest lesson and what I taught you about?"

"Er, was it about the Ancients?"

"Yes, the lesson indeed involved the Ancients, the group of all-powerful ghosts that bounded together to lock the previous ghost king Pariah Dark into the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep. I told you about the boundless power that each Ancient contained, and how they each hold their own unique power that keeps the Ghost Zone a stable environment. For example, one Ancient has the ability of harnessing the dead souls of humans and judging their afterlife. In Greek mythology, he is known as Thanatos. Others know him to be the Grim Reaper.

"However, this unique power is not limited to the Ancients, Daniel. Whilst they are a very omnipotent group, you must understand that having unique power is not limited to themselves. Everybody has the power to enact change within their lives. The Iroquois Indians believed in a small but significant concept that should be more widely celebrated than it is. They call it 'orenda', stating that there is a supernatural force contained within people that enables them to step outside the boundaries."

"Is this power physical?" Questioned Danny, "Or is this just a pep talk about being brave enough to do public speaking?"

"Who knows? Maybe you should invest in speaking in front of a general audience. It would certainly do wonders to your nervous energy around others."

Daniel huffed a little, his face betraying him with a smile.

"Daniel, you will continue to grow in strength overtime, however, let it be known that this strength will be brought on by feelings of despair, fear, and anger. It is important that you learn to harness your own unique power in order to create change in the world."

Danny nodded, silently floating upwards and preparing for the long journey home. He was just around the corner when he heard Clockwork speak.

"Oh and Daniel. You must find this spirit inside of you soon. Orenda, Daniel. Talk to Vlad about it."

* * *

Danny paced around the large living room quickly, his hands balled together in fists and his face in a hard frown. Vlad sat on the plush couch in front of him with his back hunched over as his hands rested gently underneath his chin. He too was deep in thought about the whole situation. Danny had just relayed all the information he knew to Vlad, who sat and listened patiently the whole time. It seemed that his brain had processed everything and was now unsure of how to release it.

"Do you know anything about or-an-da, uh, or-in-da?"

"Orenda, originating from the Iroquois Indians, it is a Huron cognate of Mohawk where they believed that there was a paranormal energy inside of all human beings that enabled us to generate change. It's most likely used in our modern times as a motivational or inspirational tool for ending poverty or making someone feel like they can do something in our meaningless world."

"So, Clockwork wants me to feel like I have a purpose? Is he implying that I'm depressed?"

Vlad's face looked absolutely baffled. If Danny wasn't so stressed right now then he would've laughed.

"Of course not, Daniel! I don't visit the old stopwatch as much as you do, but on the rare occasions that I have met him, he never spoke so literally. He was often, vague, I suppose, in how he delivered his message. While I feel as though he is trying to be more elusive and metaphorical, he could be talking more literally."

Danny hummed slowly, frowning slightly. What Vlad said did make sense in a way. Clockwork was never one to spill his secrets, but sometimes he seemed vaguely literal at times to the point where words flew through one ear and out the other. Danny hoped he didn't miss anything during that talk.

"What else did he say to you?"

"Uh, he did say I would get stronger…"

He hesitated to tell Vlad about the fact that he would only get stronger due to being pissed (honestly, when wasn't he?). Vlad could tell he was hesitating but didn't pry.

"Alright. Now about this 'government official'. Let's start with the first problem. Ghost drills don't seem like that much of a problem. Your school takes those up one or twice a year, therefore we can cross that one out. The only problem with this would be whether or not you would be there for the mandatory roll call. Can you sustain a duplicate for that long, my boy?"

Danny hummed in affirmance. Vlad nodded and glanced back down again, resting his clasped hands together in his lap.

"The spector deflectors will definitely become annoying. Those machines literally zap all the energy out of us. The only way I can see an exit out of this predicament would be to alter the device itself to not recognise your ectosignature as a threat."

"But I'd have it on the entire time. My parents have the key."

"Haven't you heard of invisibility and intangibility, Little Badger. It certainly comes in handy in times like these."

Danny blushed slightly before crossing his arms and looking away.

"Although, I could always ask Maddie or Jack if I could make some altercations to the device. I'm sure they would always appreciate some more help from a fellow scientist. However, I cannot alter them all, Daniel. I'm afraid you're going to have to get used to receiving a shock every time someone touches you."

Danny moaned dramatically.

"Ugh, that's going to be all the time then!" He wailed, hands flying around wildly, "Have you seen a high school hallway? It's always packed with students bustling around to classes. I'll be knocked around so much! Everyone will think I'm a schizophrenic!"

"Oh nonsense Daniel," scoffed Vlad, "You've literally been electrocuted to death and you're complaining about little _buzzes_."

Danny huffed and plopped onto the couch next to Vlad. He could feel the temperature drop slightly, frost gathering at the walls. Vlad sighed before tugging the boy gently to his side. He could feel Danny's frown pressing into his ribs. He released some energy from his core to warm the boy up, feeling a hum in response from Daniel.

"Now, I am very concerned about this blood draw," he said as he rubbed Danny's back, "Do you exactly know how they are administering the blood?"

Danny paused for a little bit. He hadn't actually thought that over.

"I'm pretty sure you show up and they take your blood. I think the guy mentioned that if you were unavailable then they'd make it up…"

"So wagging the day isn't an option. Could you possibly receive the blood drawing outside of school away from the others?"

"I think they said that there can be arrangements done, but wouldn't it be too suspicious?"

"Hmm, you are indeed correct, Little Badger. Injecting somebody's blood into your bloodstream is also out of the question, considering the blood would be immediately destroyed by the ectoplasmic cells in our bodies. Using someone else's blood during the transfer process would be risky anyway, considering we don't know the type of technology they have onsite anyway. For all we know, it is quite possible they could be checking the DNA contained within our white blood cells.

"There really is no other way that I can think you could get out of this, Daniel."

Danny's face dropped suddenly. So now he was definitely in deep strife. He would have to go through with the blood drawing, and before he knew it, bye bye secret identity! Why was his life so hard?

"What? But surely there's another way, what if you overshadowed me?"

"Even if I did overshadow another person, it is very much likely an active ghost shield would be operating, meaning I wouldn't be able to access. Of course, we can go through shields in human form, however, why would I, Vlad Masters, CEO of Dalv Corp, have any relation to the blood drawing event of a bunch of high schoolers? It's not some charity event that I can just wander in to. The press would be everywhere and it would only attract further unwarranted attention. The only thing we can do is prepare for the worst."

Danny held his head in his hands. Almost any exit point he could think of would make himself look suspicious. Surely there was some other way he could take. The only thing he could think of right now is running away.

Vlad suddenly went very still next to Danny. His face slowly paled as he looked down and making eye contact with him, grasping onto his shoulders with both hands. His long grey hair looked slightly dishevelled in the lighting.

"Daniel, what exactly is the reasoning for this blood drawing?"

Danny seemed taken aback by the sudden question, but had learned long ago to never question Vlad's panic.

"Um, because of the rise of ectoplasmic contamination at Casper High?"

Vlad suddenly stood up, pacing around the area whilst muttering under his breath. His eyes darted around the room quickly, as if solving an intense math equation at a rapid pace. Danny could see the recognition spilling through his features from a distance. His thoughts were confirmed when Vlad quickly spun around to face the younger boy.

"There is no such thing. It's all a lie."

Danny's face morphed from shock to confusion.

"But how? It seems like it could be true? With the amount of ghosts that show up to school to beat me to a pulp, wouldn't it be reasonable to have a high amount of ectoplasm on site?"

Vlad pointed a pale finger towards him in slight excitement.

"But that's where you're wrong, Daniel. Ectoplasm in its natural form is highly toxic. Coming in contact from a small sample of ectoplasm can cause a major bodily reaction such as hives or acne. No normal human can just come in contact with ectoplasm and survive. Ectoplasm is also not a known source of energy in this dimension. While it is ready for the use in the Ghost Zone, quantities in the human realm is almost second to none. And while ghosts are made up of ectoplasm, they do not excrete is into our environment, which disproves the theory of a high ectoplasmic concentration at all!"

"But wait," said Danny, holding up a hand, "If there is no way that humans can come in contact with ectoplasm and survive, then how come we did? And what do you mean 'no ectoplasm'? My parents use ectoplasm all the time!"

"I can see your thought process, my boy. We only survived due to another chemical process occurring at the same time as our natural deaths. Whilst we were exposed to ectoplasm, our bodies received high amounts of voltage that most likely acted as a massive fibrillator, causes our heart's electrical rhythm to go out of control and ultimately cause cardiac arrest. We most likely died during this process. At the same time as our bodies bonded with the ongoing ectoplasm inflicted upon us in the surrounding area, secondary strikes of voltage would have shocked us. This inevitably caused our bodies to come back to life again, whilst still maintain the properties of being half ghost.

"Now, of course, my story is different to yours. I was bedridden before the effects came into play, you were hit with higher voltages for a longer time and the effects were immediate. That is how we came to be, Little Badger."

Danny paused for a bit, letting the information soak in. Vlad was panting slightly due to all the word vomiting he had done, but he looked like he had more to say.

"Furthermore, the ectoplasm that your parents use or any other ghost hunting team uses is not ectoplasm at all. It is merely a fake substitute that your parents designed themselves. Whilst acting and having the same qualities of normal ectoplasm, they have instead removed the harmful and toxic properties it contains for humans. It is still harmful for ghosts, but safe for human use. Your portal, however, is powered by raw ectoplasm, which is why you have to change the Ecto Filtrator in order to ensure it won't explode."

"Right, got it."

"But Daniel," said Vlad solemnly, "It pains me to say this, but there is only one reason the government would make this kind of a story up. What other reason would they have in order to completely make up a random story in order for a bunch of adolescents to give up some blood?

"My boy, somebody knows your identity. And they are just here to confirm it."


End file.
